California Health & Human Services Secretary Kim Johnson and Department of Social Services leaders joined the Board of Governors on November 18 to outline a proposed demonstration project to integrate state social‑safety‑net benefits with community college student supports.

Secretary Johnson framed the effort as a partnership to reduce barriers that prevent eligible students from receiving benefits such as CalFresh and CalWORKs. She said the goal is to make benefits enrollment easier and to connect students to workforce pathways in high‑priority sectors so that public benefits and education work together to promote economic mobility.

CDSS Director Jen Troyer described recent progress: county partnerships, streamlined processes for identifying local programs that qualify students for federal student‑eligibility exemptions, and campaigns during the pandemic that led to thousands of approved applications. She emphasized the persistent federal student‑eligibility rule that limits participation and the need for state innovations and outreach.

College practitioners from EOPS and CalWORKs highlighted local success stories and urged the pilot to prioritize co‑location of services, simplified enrollment procedures, data sharing where legal, and stigma reduction strategies to encourage participation. Board members repeatedly urged a "no wrong door" approach so students need only contact one place to learn about all benefits.

Ending: The board took the presentation as information. Staff said the demonstration sites will be selected to test upstream mobility planning, CalFresh access for targeted cohorts, and county–college referral pathways; further details will be returned to the board.